Basic Urban GeoRisk Problems

  • Loss of life and property because of natural hazards
  • Health issues related to dust, air, and water
  • Natural resources needed for city growth and maintenance
  • Geotechnical issues such as foundation engineering, landslides, and subsidence

Essential Needs for Urban Hazard Mitigation, Natural Resource Evaluation, Planning, and Sustainability

  • Large-scale topographic and geologic maps, both as paper products and digital files. A basic requirement for all cities
  • All types of hazard maps related to geological, hydrological and meteorological processes
  • Detailed geological and meteorological histories, with the effects of past events superimposed on contemporary city maps
  • Resource evaluations
  • Real-time data on environmental indicators
  • Models of the effects of natural hazards on critical infrastructure

A ideal urban science team would include a:

  • Geologist
  • Geophysicist
  • Geotechnical Engineer
  • Biologist
  • Atmospheric scientist
  • Hydrologist
  • GIS geographer
  • Risk analyst with links to the social sciences
  • Disaster mitigation specialist
  • Urban Planner
  • Applied Mathematician

At what level should an urban geoscience team be employed?

· Municipal (in larger cities; perhaps a regional team could be shared among smaller towns)
· Metropolitan Regional level, such as the Southern California Area Governments (SCAG)
· National Assistance on more regional issues by federal and state geological surveys, environmental organizations, and weather forecasting groups.
· National or International Establishment of mapping standards at a national or international level? A job for national or international agency


How can IUGG/IUGS make a difference?

  1. Encourage involvement of geoscientists in the cities-via symposia at professional meetings, workshops. (Beginning with Earthquakes and Megacities, Cities on Volcanoes, Birmingham and Spring 2000 AGU)-A good start.
  2. Promote integrated urban georisk in the universities (Beginning with programs at Arizona State University, University of Rome-TRE, and University of Hong Kong). How do we assist this growth or do we simply watch and encourage?
  3. Promote participation of geoscientists in meetings of cities organizations, such as Nat. League of Cities (Paper at 1999 NLC, contacts at Pacific Rim Mayor's Conference) Just beginning.
  4. Establish directories of urban geoscientists and educational programs-Any volunteers to initiate this?
  5. Establish a "speakers bureau" to give presentations to city governments and advertise its existence via journals and web site. Does IUGG have a "speakers bureau?" If not, why not start one?
  6. Encourage and aid media producers to prepare videos, magazine articles, etc. on the value of geosciences in the cities. Press releases from workshops and symposia to encourage this sort of activity
  7. Organize the "Decade Cities" Project. Volunteers?

The Long-Term Goals of "GeoRisk in the Cities"

  • Safe, sustainable cities
  • Reduce losses from natural and man-made disasters-save lives, lower reconstruction costs, and keep commerce and industry running through an understanding of the geological and meteorological framework and subsequent mitigation
  • Eliminate causes of health problems related to environmental and geological setting